Revolving firearm



Feb. 23, 1965 L. LUDOVICI 3,170,261

REVOLVING FIREARM Filed Sept. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I

6 14M 6 MM Feb. 23, 1965 1.. LUDOVICI' 3,170,261

REVOLVING FIREARM Filed Sept. 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,170,261 REVOLVING FIREARM Luigi Ludovici, 1 Via Celestino V, LAquila, Italy Filed Sept. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 310,596 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 42-59) The present invention relates to an improvement in firearms, and more specifically to a revolving firearm adapted to fire either a sequence of single shots, or simultaneously a plurality of shots, means being provided for alternating at will the two kinds of firing.

An object of this invention is to provide a revolving firearm comprising a barrel having a plurality of inner tubes, a cylinder provided with a plurality of cartridgechambers which during the stepwise revolution of said cylinder will be sequentially aligned with said inner tubes of the barrel, a multiple striker for firing said cartridges, and means for selectively causing either a plurality of cartridges of each group to be simultaneously fired, or the single cartridges to be individually and sequentially fired up to exhaustion thereof. 7

The invention will be now described with reference to the annexed drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevational view of a cylinder for an arm according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the barrel;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinalsectional view of the firing pin on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 shows diagrammatically the position of the striker in its position for sequentially firing single shots;

FIGURE 7 shows the striker in its position for firing a sequence of three simultaneous shots;

FIGURE 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the firing pin with its associated control members;

FIGURE 9 is a partial rear view of the arm;

FIGURE 10 is a detail view showing the position of t the striker with respect to the arm frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a revolver, it being however understood that this invention can be applied to any other kind of revolving firearm.

With reference to the FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 1 denotes the cylinder wherein instead of the usual six chambers for receiving the cartridges, there are provided six chamber groups, symmetrically located with respect to the axis of revolution of the cylinder, each group including three chambers Z, 3 and 4 adapted to receive the rim fire type cartridges 5.

The barrel 6 (FIGURE 2) is provided with three inner tubes, 2', 3 and 4', so that at each step movement of the drum 1, three chambers will be aligned with the three associated inner tubes of the barrel.

The firing pin (FIGURES 3, 4 and 5) consists of a cylindrical body 7 received in a housing 8 and outwardly urged by a helical spring 9. The outer end of said firing pin 7 has a member Iii destined to be hit by the hammer While at its front end the firing pin is provided with a striker (see particularly FIGURE 4) consisting of three radial located projecting ribs 11, while a fourth projecting rib I2 is aligned with one of said three ribs. The firing pin 7 can axially slide with respect to the housing 8 and is prevented from rotating with respect thereto by means of a key 13.

The firing pin housing 8 in turn is rotatably mounted ice in a recess provided in the frame 14 of the arm, and is rigid with a knurled bush 15 projecting from both lateral sides of the body 14 so as to be easily operated. The housing 8 has a hexagonal shape (FIGURE 5), the faces 15 of which are adapted to bear against a leaf spring 17 anchored at 18 to the frame 14 so that the housing 8 and therefore-the striker 7 will be able to take six positions, as defined by the hexagonal faces 16, due to the action of the knurled bushing 15. Further, the rotation of the housing 8 can be automatically operated by the revolution of the cylinder 1 as will be disclosed below.

The front end of the firing pin housing 8 is provided with a circular flange 19 having six radial notches 20 corresponding to the apexes of the hexagonal faces 16. The cylinder 1 in turn is provided with a peg 21 projecting towards the fin'ng pin and located in such position to take two different positions with respect to each group of cartridges contained within the cylinder; i.e. the position shown in FIGURE 6, wherein the percussion rib 12 carries out the percussion of a single cartridge of the group, and the position shown in FIGURE 7, wherein the radially located percussion ribs 11 carry out the simultaneous percussion of the three'cartridges of the group. i

The operation of the arm according to the present invention is as follows. Assuming that through the knurled bushing 1'5 the position of the firing pin has been adjusted as shown in FIGURE 6, the six cartridges in the upper left hand position of each group will be first sequentially fired. At the end of the turn of the cylinder 1, the peg 21 automatically causes the firingpin to rotate through against the action of the leaf spring 17, so that the percussion rib 12 of the firing pin will reach the position '12 as shown in dotted line in FIGURE 6, and then the six cartridges in the upper right hand position as shown in FIGURE 6 will be fired. At the end of this second turn of the cylinder the firing pin will rotate again through 120 and the percussion rib 12 will take the position 12" so as to sequentially fire the last six cartridges, located at the lower positions of each group.

Accordingly it will be possible to fire sequentially eighteen shots with the firing pin in the position shown in FIGURE 6. If the firing pin is carried to the position shown in FIGURE 7, for each action on the trigger, three cartridges will be simultaneously hit and six groups will be obtained, each including three simultaneous shots. In order to know the position of the firing pin the knurled bushing 15 is provided in its face turned towards the shooter, with the marks 22. As shown in FIGURE 10 the frame 14 is provided with a groove 23 to allow the passage of the peg 21 in its lower path.

This invention allows the embodiment of an arm having the features below:

Quantity of firing-Assuming that the arm is embodied in a pistol with a small caliber (22 LR.) said arm can have at its disposal 18 shots Without exceeding either the crosswise size, or the total size of a common 38-.45 cal.

' revolver.

P0wer.Always assuming a small bore, the arm is T able to afford a power equalling that of a powerful heavy be possible to obtain a more or less wide distribution of the bullets of each group, with an evident increase of the probability of hitting the target. This, of course both for defense and sporting purposes.

The destroying power of the arm according to this invention is very great and it may be considered an effective subsidiary means for big-game hunting.

In fact, the cartridges of each group, even if provided with normal bullets behave as expanding big bore bullets. This destroying power will be enormously increased if expanding bullets are used, since said bullets after having simultaneously reached the target will individually expand inside it, with an effect which is not only equal to the sum of the effect of each bullet, but which is certainly more important due to the simultaneous and complex tearing apart action.

Moreover, this arm, besides allowing the promiscuous use of cartridges like the usual revolvers, allows the simultaneous firing of bullets of diiferent kinds. For instance it will be possible to fire a group of perforating, expanding and tracer bullets in order to check the exactness of shooting.

Finally, in this arm it is quickly and easily possible to change the type of firing (individual shots or groups of shots) and this change can be effected at the will of the shooter, even while firing and with the arm aimed at the target, by means of the knurled bushing 15.

The present invention has been described in one preferred embodiment, it being however understood that several modifications could be carried out, without departing from the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A revolving firearm for ring cap cartridges having a frame, comprising in combination a barrel having three inner tubes, a revolving cylinder provided with a plurality of cartridge chambers, said chambers being arranged in six sets each comprising three chambers always in register with said inner tubes and provided in two concentrical rings comprising twelve and six cartridge chambers, respectively, a rotative hexagonal housing arranged within said firearm frame and having a central cylindrical bore and six notches uniformly provided at its inner end facing said cylinder, a leaf spring secured to the housing and acting on the outer faces of said hexagonal housing, a firing pin arranged within said cylindrical bore, a multiple striker provided at the inner end of said firing pin and having three percussion ribs at an angle of to one another and a fourth percussion rib forming the extension of one of said three ribs, a spiral spring arranged within said central bore and abutting at one end on a restricted portion of said central bore and at the other end on an enlarged portion of said firing pin and urging said pin in a direction opposite to said cylinder, a key fixed within said cylindrical bore at the outer end thereof, said enlarged portion of the firing pin having a projection slidable in said key, a peg provided on said cylinder to engage said notches for rotating the housing and thus the striker through an angle of 120 at each complete turn of said cylinder and means rigidly secured to the outer end of the firing pin for adjusting said striker in the position of both simultaneous and single shots, whereby the three percussion ribs will be placed in register with the three cartridge chambers, in turn in register with the three inner tubes and, respectively, the fourth percussion rib in register with one of said cartridge chambers, so that in the case of single shots the fourth percussion rib will be able to automatically shoot all the cartridges contained in the cylinder by rotating said fourth percussion rib through the angle of 120 at any complete turn of said cylinder.

2. A firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting the position of said striker comprises a knurled bush projecting from both lateral sides of the frame and having markings indicating the single and simultaneous shooting position of the striker.

3. A firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein said notches are provided at the apexes of said hexagonal housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,819 12/09 Du Bose 42-65 BENJAMIN A. BORCH ELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED c. MATTERN, JR, Examiner. 

1. A REVOLVING FIREARM FOR RING CAP CARTRIDGES HAVING A FRAME, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BARREL HAVING THREE INNER TUBES, A REVOLVING CYLINDER PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF CARTRIDGE CHAMBERS, SAID CHAMBERS BEING ARRANGED IN SIX SET EACH COMPRISING THREE CHAMBERS ALWAYS IN REGISTER WITH SAID INNER TUBES AND PROVIDED IN TWO CONCENTRICAL RINGS COMPRISING TWELVE AND SIX CARTRIDGE CHAMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, A ROTATIVE HEXAGONAL HOUSING ARRANGED WITHIN SAID FIREARM FRAME AND HAVING A CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL BORE AND SIX NOTCHES UNIFORMLY PROVIDED AT ITS INNER END FACING SAID CYLINDER, A LEAF SPRING SECURED TO THE HOUSING AND ACTING ON THE OUTER FACES OF SAID HEXAGONAL HOUSING, A FIRING PIN ARRANGED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL BORE, A MULTIPLE STRIKER PROVIDED AT THE INNER END OF SAID FIRING PIN AND HAVING THREE PERCUSSION RIBS AT AN ANGLE OF 120* TO ONE ANOTHER AND A FOURTH PERCUSSION RIB FORMING THE EXTENSION OF ONE OF SAID THREE RIBS, A SPIRAL SPRING ARRANGED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL BORE AND ABUTTING AT ONE END ON A RESTRICTED PORTION OF SAID CENTRAL BORE AND AT THE OTHER END ON AN ENLARGED PORTION OF SAID FIRING PIN AND URGING SAID PIN IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID CYLINDER, A KEY FIXED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL BORE AT THE OUTER END 